Rotary switches are commonly used to selectively control electrical power or communications between electrical components. Selective control of a rotary switch is performed through rotation of a rotor or shaft. The shaft includes electrical contacts that rotate with the shaft. The rotary switch also includes electrical terminals that are stationary relative to the rotating shaft and electrically contactable with the electrical contacts of the shaft. As the shaft rotates, the electrical terminals come into and go out of contact with the electrical contacts to open and close, respectively, an electrical circuit formed by the rotary switch.
Often, rotary switches form part of an electrical system that receives electrical power from a power source and selectively transfers the power to an electrical device. The electrical system may include redundant power sources and/or redundant electrical devices. In such systems, the rotary switch can be selectively controlled to switch the source of power between redundant power sources and/or switch the receipt of power between redundant electrical devices.